As You Passed Me By
by Necrium
Summary: Regrets...that seemed the only thing Téa had left. They say if you love something, you should set it free. If it never comes back, it wasn't meant to be. It kills her to see Seto with Serenity so...happy. Love is fickle, and he didn't came back. [SxT]
1. Prelude

****

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Hey guys. Umm...this is a reposting of the story that was formerly known as "No Regrets". I'm revising it a because the first chapter draft (and the really crappy sappy title) were made up/written in about half an hour, had a scary number of typos, and needed...iunno, something more. I _do_ like this version better, and I hope you guys will too. A huge thanks to everyone who reviewed my first draft. _(huggles)_ Please review this one too!

The second chapter will be posted in about...well, a couple of days. After some revising, and possibly some addition of much need...cough _plot_. Anyway. Here we go.

* * *

A pause. A glance. A word.

Yes, I still love him. Is that _such_ a crime? It's not like I expect him to reciprocate the feeling or have a wanton affair with me behind her back...I don't expect him to do anything at all. I know where he stands: beside her. I've accepted that fact...I think (fine, I'm really (very) slowly coming into terms with it). And all I truly want from him is _some_ indication that he still recalls the passionate nights and the soft touches. Right. I _know_ we are not "us" anymore...But is it so wrong to want him to show that perhaps, just maybe...he still remembers (or, more accurately, hasn't forgotten) a time when we were "us". _Some_ indication that what we shared wasn't just a waste of his time. _Something_ to show that I'm not simply...that I was more than just the woman before THE ONE.

Us. Why was I so afraid?

At this moment, I'm surprised at how my crazy, passionate, forbidden love, and my idoit of a brain, has landed me where I am: standing on the cold sidewalk, stupidly looking through the large window into the resturant where all my friends (not to mention the _happy_ couple) are. Why, one would ask, am I not inside? Where it's warm, where there's food, where I can bask in the company of people I love? I'm not quite sure myself. But what I do know is that when I see _him_ through the glass, hosting the party I was too selfish to attend, my heart jerks painfully. And I know that being inside would not be very healthy for my mental state.

I feel my heart start to race at an alarming rate when I see him smile. He's _smiling_ — actually smiling, not a smirk or whatnot — sitting there with his arm around the back of her chair, totally relaxed, in his element. He proceeds to laugh at something Joey says (and judging by the blond's shocked expression, also said something insulting), while the woman beside him punches playfully, and then he breaks out into another belly bursting laugh. I can almost hear it in my head: full, deep, _him_. He is…exquisite. There was a time when it would have taken an arm and a leg to make him even crack a smile. He's so different now. A strange sense of regret suffocates me.

Damnit. That could have been me next to him. That should be me. _Me_ beside him, _me_ making him smile, _me_ with dreams of a golden future (which once included lots of brown hair and blue eye children...), _me_ with the 10 carat diamond ring on the third finger of _my_ left hand, and _my_ gigantic wedding in three months. But...it isn't. It's _her_. All because I was too afraid, too hurt, too anxious, too goddamn…lazy. It's her. It's my fault that it's her.

It just doesn't seem fair, the way that life has decides to work itself out. Her role was (is, I guess...) so much easier than mine (...was). She doesn't have to slowly thaw his heart out while worrying about burning it; she doesn't have to hammer down the walls he constructed around him while worrying about how he would stand without them; she doesn't have to help make him less of a dueling machine while worrying…I'm ranting...I should stop. She didn't have to do a lot of things. A lot of things that I did for her. Damn.

But—and this is what makes me angry—I cannot hate her. It simply isn't her fault. She cannot help the way she is. She cannot make herself ugly (even if she tried really, really hard), not with her long luscious auburn hair, enchanting green eyes, perfect porcelain skin, and the smile of an angel. To add insult to injury, I know he isn't that shallow: being gorgeous was the _bonus_. What truly made him fall in love was her caring personality, her gentle kindness. She cannot help that either, I guess. Isn't it strange that I often wish that one of my best friends was a cruel little bitch? Maybe not that strange. _I_ cannot help but note that she looks gorgeous tonight, wearing the bombshell crimson red Armani dress that I helped her pick out. I'm happy for her, somewhere deep down, past all my pettiness. I'm happy that she's happy.

I cannot hate him for placing me in this absurd, painful situation either. I _love_ him. So simple, so illogical...so very, very sad.

He's handsome tonight (and she is gorgeous...gee, aren't they the perfect couple). In his jet suit, with a red silk shirt underneath to compliment his fiancé's (ahhh…the "f" word) dress. My stomach feel nauseous, my heart, pained, as I stand here on the cold pavement watching him, knowing that he will never be mine. His brown hair is perfectly messy, his deep blue eyes shining happily, his posture relaxed, content and in total control— all of it makes me disgustingly sick.

I want to do something, I need to do something…bring him back here, back where he belongs, back to _me_…I cannot simply watch them together, be happy together, get _married_...together (ironic that I agreed to be the maid of honour)...it would kill me (or drive me insane; whichever one's worse (or perhaps, comes first)).

The only person that I could hate then, for placing me in my situation, is myself. And I do hate myself so much sometimes. Like when I do the same thing I've done every time this feeling of regret overwhelms me: _nothing_; when I do the same thing I've done for the past three years every time I see them together: _walk away_.

I felt like walking home today; my apartment wasn't that far off (an half hour...or so). Perhaps the cold November night air, and the lonely streets will do me some good. Of course, they aren't actually very lonely. I guess I'll also really enjoy the disturbingly large number of couples holding hands and snuggling together; doing everything possible to be as close as possible. Why is it that when you're single, cold, and lonely, the number of happy and warm couples seem to increase exponentially? It's at this moment, that I actually realize I'm cold...freezing, actually. Perhaps a taxi ride would be the better choice. But then I'll get back to my dark, empty, pointlessly large apartment all the sooner. Are happy strangers who make you depressed better than no one at all? Possibly...

I take a final look through the window. The image of everything...everyone inside looking very...warm...content...goddamn happy (without me), decides to sear itself into my brain. I cannot _wait_ to get home.

There was a time when he would have laughed when I suggested colour matching garments…laughed cruelly. There would have also been a time when he would have relucantly agreed, after much arm twisting. However, when I suggested the corny tactic while standing in his walk-in earlier today, he nodded immediately and smiled secretively. "That's a interesting idea", he had mumbled—eyes and mind a million miles away. He stood like that for almost ten minutes, perfectly still, forgetting even the presence of another human being (me) in the room; it was a moment, where privacy was needed. And had he been anyone else, privacy would have been given. But I could not look away; even as waves upon waves of anguish and regret washed over me (what kind of a fool _wouldn't_ know what he was thinking about?), I could not look away. He...entrances me. I'm addicted to everything about him; the way he walks, the way he talks, the way he smiles, the way he commands, the way he cares, the way he's aftershave smells, the way that his presence cannot go unnoticed, the way his fingers used to feel entertwined with mine. He _is_ my obession.

This morning was also when I realized that going to the engagement party...going to anything related to Seto Kaiba and Serenity Wheeler's wedding, would severely damaged my already fragile emotional state.

He agreed. They do look _really_ cute slightly colour-matched. And at least now I know for a fact that he loves her way more than he ever loved me.

The sick, sadistic little thought that creeps into my mind after that bitter realization is that...perhaps it's time for things to change. Perhaps it's time for me to do something. Perhaps.

* * *

I saw her. Standing outside the restaurant,seemingly doing nothing except simply watching . If that act alone wasn't strange enough, she also had this incredibly odd expression on her face, an expression that I could not place. There are very few expressions I cannot place (one does not become a multibillionaire without being able to master the art of reading others), especially on people whom I care about. The fact that I could not place _her_ expression bothered me, perhaps even a little more than the all the other ever increasingly large amount of things I could not understand about her anymore. I wondered for a brief moment how much I would give to be able to understand that expression, to understand her again. The answer disturbed me slightly.

Turning to Serenity, I asked whether or not Téa was going to be coming to the dinner, or the party afterwards.

" I think she said that she had some things to take care of…"

"Oh. Did she say what?"

"Ummmm…?"

She wasn't really paying attention. Too preoccupied, I think, with the horrendous joke that the do…I mean, Wheeler (I've got to stop doing that, he is going to be my brother-in-law), was telling. It was something completely idiotic, so, of course I had to say something tremendously insulting. To my surprise, everybody laughed; and perhaps to my even bigger surprise: I laughed _with_ them.

I still cannot get over how easy it is for me to laugh now…and it's all thanks to her, who gives me a cute little punch as reprimand for torturing her brother. Looking beside me, I realize, for the twentith time, that she looks positively radiant tonight. And smoking hot.

"Mmmm…I'm liking the red on you. Although...not nearly as much as I like you naked" I whisper in her ear, leaning in close. It was amusing, watching her blush prettily, all the way to the roots of her hair.

"Don't say things like that in public!" She whispers back.

"Why? No one heard. When we get home, I think you should try on _naked_ for me, hmmm?" I suggestively place a hand on her bare knee, caressing the underside, and moving slowly up…

"Achm…" I look up at Yugi, who made that oh-so-subtle sound, saw him wince—and realized that all conversations at the table had stopped. Wheeler was growling, Valentine winked, and everyone else was decidedly uncomfortable. Serenity became even redder, if that was at all possible.

I sigh (it's a shame, I was looking forward to a little action under the tablecloth), and say, "Anyone want to go home without eating and come another time…? Anyone…anyone at all? Cause I want to go home _now_."

The table erupts in laughter again, and I laugh with them (again).

Rebecca sighs, "I envy you, Serenity. Your sex life must be thriving. Unlike mine" she says, decidedly looking at Yugi (everyone knows about his "no-sex-before-marriage policy"…poor, poor Rebecca. She must really love him. They're getting engaged soon, though, I'm pretty sure. I guess she doesn't have that long to wait). Who blushes redder than Serenity (again, if possible).

Mokuba snickers, "You know—I'm thinking that you might need a guy on the side, Becky. I could be just the guy for you, if Mutou can't cut it…" And winks (How very different my brother is from me. I wouldn't be caught _dead_ winking when I was 18).

Little Yugi snaps to attention, glares daggers (very, very sharp ones) at Mokuba, and hiss' "Wanna take this outside, Kaiba?", deadly vemon dripping off every word. The table goes eerily quiet.

My brother gulps (another thing I wouldn't be caught dead doing)…and laughs nervously "I was only teasing, Yug!"

"I know." Yugi turns around and flashes the most angelic smile in the world and puts his arm around Rebecca. "I know."

The table erupts in laughter. Yugi seem to possess this strange quality of duality to him. Perhaps that was why I could never win against him: I never really accounted for a complete change of tactics right in the middle of the duel. Perhaps I should, and duel ag... I shake my head violently. Thoughts like that have no place here and now...maybe after the wedding...maybe.

The rest of the night passed in a haze. The food was excellent (of course it was, I did pick this restaurant after all), and the company—mostly pleasant. The party we went to afterwards was interesting...not my style, but everyone else seemed to enjoy it. Dancing with Serenity in her skimpy red dress was definately a highlight. How can one not enjoy dancing with the woman every other man in the room was drooling over?

It wasn't until I got into the limo with a tipsy Serenity at about one in the morning that I realized no one had brought up the absence of Téa. It was as if they all accepted/knew she wasn't going to be there. That made no sense at all, considering that she's at _everything_. What makes this all the stranger is that it was only this morning that she had been at the mansion, helping me pick out an outfit, and assuring me that she wouldn't miss my engagement party for the world. And why was she just standing there, outside the resturant? Why didn't she come in? It also then that I realized that she must have been freezing out there when I saw her, since she was wearing nothing but the short black cocktail dress (which I helped her pick out for _this_ party last weekend) and a light cardigan. _Why_ on earth didn't seem come in? Leaning back into the leather car seat with Serenity asleep on my lap, I realize that I am frustrated with her. The first time in a while that I've been frustrated at anybody. It was evident that she didn't have "something" to take care of. But, she's never simply ditched me (her friends in general) without a good reason before. So..._why_?

She is one of my best friends. But it feels like I understand her less and less each day. The thought of what I would give up to simply just understand her again...disturbs me even more than it did before

* * *

** I haven't got an editor yet, so, bear with me for a bit. Annnnnyways...what did you think?? This is going to turn out strange (as I'm not sure who is going to be the bad or nice guy (girl)), but will be slightly reminiscent of Korean dramas. Which disturbs me. Possibly more than how much Seto is disturbed by what he would give up to understand Téa. It was really strange. I spent an entire 10 minutes deciding whether or not the thing that Seto was willing to give up fit in with the story narrative or not. At the end, I thought a simple "I am disturbed" was better. More Kaiba-ish. I don't know why I'm tripping over something so trivial (seeing as I probably have a ton of typos that I should be editing in this chapter), but hey, I would appreciate it if you guys gave me input on this particular quasi-dilemma...**

Anyways, dont forget to review!


	2. The Art of Dwelling

There are certain times in a girl's life where one absolutely has to pause, rewind, and ask oneself: _how the hell could (I let) something like that happen to me?_ The follow up requirement for such moments of excruciating epiphanies are a good and long (and _very_ healthy) self-pity wallowing period—a time where sanity is forgone and huge amounts of any available sugary substance is consumed.

Such moments are meant to be treasured; archived in the endless labyrinth of the mind along with other "I'm-a-stronger-person-because-of-this" events.

Yet, when such moments become so frequent that one is in danger of becoming obese from all the sugary substance one consumes during the period, one has a slight problem.

Such moments have happened to Miss Téa Gardner all of ninety-six times in the past five years (her world simply seemed to spin out of control upon high school graduation). Yes, she strangely keeps a running tally in her Blackberry; yes, she knows that she has a problem; yes, she is developing a slight complex; and no, she no longer indulges in the follow up period.

Téa sighs as she writes the ninety-seventh entry in the "_SHIT_" folder and then angrily places her blackberry on the glass coffee table. She turns to the small white Maltese puppy lazily stretched out on the luxurious leather couch with her and mumbles, "I'll check into a mental asylum if I reach 100 before the year's up. Honestly, I think I'll have to."

Listlessly, she pulls the dog up to her face and kisses its nose.

"Do you know what happened to me yesterday, Tino?"

"Rroowf!"

Gathering up the small animal and carrying him using her hip and left arm, Téa moves towards the kitchen. She removes a bone shaped bowl from the cupboard next to the fridge, places it on the ground and releases Tino.

"Well…let's just say that it was a really bad day…" She says as she scoops dog food into the bowl. The small dog scrambles to the bowl rim and promptly digs in. Téa kneels down beside him and promptly rants:

"I cannot believe I stupidly agreed to go along with Serenity to go _dress shopping_ for her engagement party. Ummmm? Yes, it's the same engagement party that took two tissue boxes to get over…God, I really think that I'm just a masochist; I _want_ to be hurt. We proceed to visit this fancy-pantsy-everything's-as-expensive-as-a-heirloom boutique (Téa of course doesn't note that she herself regularly visits said fancy-pantsy boutique), where we just _had_ to find the most gorgeous and sexy red dress…which just _happened_ to complimented _everything_ about her…her rosy cheeks, her auburn hair…I, of course, just _had_ to encouraged (read: begged and bullied) her to buy it even though it wasn't really her style. Why on earth do I go to extra lengths to make her look good when I should really be doing the opposite? Seto was probably drooling all over her tonight" Here Téa paused, her facial features contorted in disgust (with that particular mental image, Téa really couldn't help but think sadistic thoughts of murder and revenge).

"And you know what happened when we got up to the cashier to pay for the overtly over priced dress?" She continued. "God…she pulled out Seto's credit card. _His_ credit card! _Gawd_…"

The hand that was absentmindedly stroking Tino's torso paused, quivered, and suddenly clenched. Tino cringed. Yet, regardless of the stinging pain he was feeling on his back, Tino was listening intently to his mistress piss and whine about a certain CEO's fiancé. The mistress needed an outlet, and since the _cat_ wasn't here to take the brunt of the her rants (and inattentive pain causing ways), he would grim and bear it. Mistress was his food, so he couldn't really complain (much).

"By the way, you know where Gigi went?"

"Rrrrrooof."

"Don't talk with your month full…" Téa said absentmindedly, then continued her rant: "Does it really matter that they are a couple? I mean…shouldn't _credit cards_ be off limits until they are married or something?"

Of course, Téa doesn't at all note the fact that the only reason she had known it was Seto's "invitation-only" Black American Express card was because she herself had used the same credit card in the past. Often.

"She couldn't _stop_ talking about her wedding the entire time…what kind of flowers Seto wanted, what colour napkins Seto wanted, what kind of cake Seto wanted…and, just when I was thinking that the torture was over and done with, she just _had_ to drag me into the 'best coffee shop in the world' to talk about something _'important'_…"

Changing from a kneeling to a sitting position on the floor beside Tino, Téa leaned against the under-the-sink-garbage cupboard and craned her head to stare at the bland beige ceiling. She couldn't fault Serenity for being excited; a wedding was, after all, a once in a lifetime opportunity (if one was lucky). And the dress-shopping wasn't all that bad; once you got past the gut-wrenching aspects of it, what kind of girl _doesn't_ like shopping with girlfriends (not to mention Téa herself picked up a rather nice coat. _On_ _sale!_)? Only…only…there are no words in the English language that can describe how badly Téa wanted to be in the place of Serenity at the current moment. It wasn't envy…really…it was more or less a bad case of resentment.

She was staring so intently at the ceiling that Tino was starting to get worried. Only he didn't quite know how mesmerizing the kitchen ceiling lights really were.

"It really was a very strange day…"

* * *

_Two girls were chattering excitedly as they exited a clothing boutique on the corner of Main and 2__nd__. Or…at least that's how it would seem to a casual observer, but that might possibly be because most people recognize happiness way faster than they recognize grief. In reality, one girl was talking so animatedly that the very air around her vibrated with life and colour; the other was wearing a sad smile, and a supplied only a nod of agreement or a "that's interesting" to her companion's chatter. _

_Simply __overshadowed__: Happiness courts the light, so we deem the world is gay; but misery hides aloof, so we deem that misery there is none (Melville)._

_It wasn't long before Serenity became concerned over the lack of participation of Téa in their conversation._

"_Hey, is there something wrong?"_

"_Ummm…?"_

"_You just seem kinda down lately? What's up?" _

_Téa looked at her friend incredulously, and thought; '_no shit Sherlock. Hmmm. I'm looking down?…could it possibly be because you are marrying the man that I'm head over heels in love wi...this was very strange. Could it be possible that Serenity didn't know? She had though Serenity knew how she felt about Seto; they have been friends for long enough now for them to be able to read each other like books, haven't they? Wasn't this was one of those things all the girlfriends knew about (Mai, Rebecca, Isis…) but no one ever talked about…(not since her breakdown in front of Mai three years ago, at least). Crap…Serenity doesn't know?'

_Téa smiles a truly painful smile, says: "Oh, god. I'm just so freaking tired from work, y'know? Remember the slave driver director I told you about? Well, he wants a crapload of new crazy random routines for seven done before everyone leaves for Christmas…sorry if I was zoning out on you…" and then Téa laughs a laugh so fake, she felt as if her face was going to crack. _

_Serenity smiled cheerfully back, and replied, "Well, if you're sure…don't overwork yourself, okay? And you know that you can tell me anything, right?" Serenity's mind, on the other hand, was anything but cheerful: _'Oh god. Please just say it, Téa. Please. I want to hear you say it before I go through with this. You have been my best friend…I'm not sure I can do this to you…I won't be able to stand it if I know you'll hate me afterwards. But…I love him, and I know that he loves me…please, I'm so sorry for hurting you. I…'

"_I know, muffin, I know." Téa says as she (truly) smiles, and places her arm around Serenity's shoulders "Now, let's get to the 'world's-best-coffee-shop', shall we?"_

"_Let's!"_

"_Ummm…so how's the wedding coming along? You were talking about the bridesmaid dresses in the change room…?"_

"_Oh yeah, it's a nice flowy Vera Wang…pretty traditional, I think. The colour probably going to end up blue or something, just like everything else in the entire wedding… Seto's so attached to the colour, dark blue in particular, I haven't got the faintest idea why!"_

"_Oh, Serenity, you've gotta push your weight around a bit. Force a little pink in there somewhere." _

"_You haven't got the slightest clue how hard I've tried, but Seto's so stubborn. At least the cake isn't blue…" Serenity giggles, "but that might be because a blue cake might come across as a little strange. My dress isn't blue either…a blue wedding dress would be __really__ strange"_

"_Yeah, not even Kaiba's that dense…" Téa replied, which earned a light punch from Serenity. _

"_It just surprises me how much Seto wants to involved in the wedding planning…I mean, it's weird, he's a __guy__! He isn't suppose to be interested in centerpieces and flowers!"_

"_Well…he's always been a control freak…" Another punch._

"_You'd never guess the kind of flowers he wants for the center…"_

"_Blue orchids." Téa absentmindedly 'guessed'. _

"_How did you know! Wow…okay, you'll never guess what kind of table-cloths he…" Serenity was genuinely shocked, and perhaps a little concerned._

"_200 thread-count Egyptian cotton in…possibly Azure?" Téa looks at Serenity questioningly._

"_Whoa…yeah, that's right. Don't you think that's so weird though? I mean, isn't that kind of stuff usually used for bedding or something?"_

"_Well…the bedding type is usually 1000 to 4000 count…but yeah, only rich asses would use them as table-clothes. And if there is one thing Seto is, it is an rich ass." Punch number three._

"_Well…at least it's a cute ass. Anyway, how on earth do you know these stuff?" Serenity asked, in awe. _

"_A guy like Seto doesn't respond to change well." Téa said, a(nother) sad smile on her face._

_

* * *

_

'And you know what the _important _thing she wanted to ask me was? She wants me to be her _maid of honour_. Goddamnit." Téa slowly picked up Tino and lifted the small dog so she could stare into his chocolate eyes. "And for the grand finale of the horrible day: I said _yes_."

A single tear made its way down Téa's pale left cheek, but was quickly wiped it away.

"Well then. That's why today deserved the ninety-seventh mark." Téa smiled dejectedly, and dropped Tino back on the kitchen floor.

"I'm gonna brush up and get ready for bed…where on earth is Gigi? Isn't the silly feline hungry?"

"Rwwwwfff. Wooorf"

"You're probably right…garbage does have that 'unpredictable' appeal. You sleeping with me tonight or in your doggie bed?"

"Rarrrrwwf"

"Cool. I'm glad you don't shed either."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the second floor library of the Kaiba mansion (which is more like a modern casa than anything else—Seto even considered installing a mote), a very angry CEO was roaring into his phone.

"I shouldn't NEED to go to London. That's why you talentless IDIOTS _EXIST. _You are getting paid six-figure salaries because I was _told_ that you were the _best_. Which evidently is a lie equivalent to saying the sky is shitting pink. Now. FIX the glitch, and fix it now, before your whole damn department gets fired!" Seto violently smashed the receiver down, growled, and angrily leaned back into his soft black leather chair. He turns to look at Mokuba, who seems to be happily typing away at his laptop while stretched out on the black couch against the east wall, with a "say-something-to-diffuse-my-pent-up-rage-now-or-die" look.

"Are the European HQ computers acting up again?" Mokuba asked, without looking up.

"Garrrrrrg…"

"Nice choice of words, by the way…"sky is shitting pink"? You _must_ be tired. Or getting soft."

"Shut it. Don't make me come over there."

"You won't. It's too far away for ol' soft Seto."

"It's barely five metres, don't be silly. And I have not gotten soft. I think I just made a 40 year-old man cry. That or piss his pants." Seto scoffed, enjoying the idle 4am banter.

"You know…it could be the fault of the computers, not the personnel." Mokuba carefully replied. A reply that earned a pause from Seto: _A little too carefully, I think_, thought the elder Kaiba.

"Impossible. I uploaded the new OS shell into the computers myself just this August. It's probably just some inane script glitch or something, and the idiots just too stupid to figure it out." Seto tilted his head upwards, looking (almost dreamily) at the massive crystal chandelier at the centre of the ceiling.

"Your new OS is pretty intimidating...layers and layers of formatting and scripting…you can't blame them for getting confused." Mokuba stopped typing and raised his head to look intently at his older brother.

"Why are you defending them?"

"Iunno…I'm just thinking that perhaps it would probably be the best if someone who knew their way around the OS could help out…"

"I'm too busy to go to London."

"I know."

"…" _Oh, SHIT, I thought…_realization slammed into Seto's consciousness.

"I could go."

"Why on earth would _you _be an expert on the new OS?" Seto turned to look at his brother, who had an unhealthy glint in his eyes.

"I did help write a bit of it…"

"Yeah. Half a level. Out of twenty hundred."

"Seto…I can fix the problem."

"Um…" The brown haired CEO turned his attention back to the chandelier.

"Trust me." Mokuba probed.

"You just want to go to London." Seto retorted, his voice unusually monotone. Almost as if he thought this thread of conversation wasn't more dangerous than a minefield

"Although that may be true, I can still fix the whatever's wrong with the computers. I promise. Please, big brother?"

A long pause followed this statement of Mokuba's—a long, extremely uncomfortable, and breath-holding silence for the younger Kaiba. Both occupants of the library were surprised at the use of a term of endearment that hadn't been used for five years. However, at the same time, both knew what was in London. When the silence became deafening, Seto quietly spoke up, knowing that the state of his relationship with his brother depended on the next words that came out of his mouth.

"She was a gold-digging whore, Mokie. I thought you've accepted that."

Silence. Stifling Silence.

"I…I…geez. Don't call her that. She was confused, by the name, by the money…" Mokuba finally stuttered out.

"Don't you even remember what she said to you after she realized that you weren't going to inherit KaibaCorp? When she final understood that you didn't _want_ to inherit it?" Seto snapped, disgusted by the memory of Mokuba's first 'love'.

"…I…God. I…I don't know!"

"Then this conversation is over. You are _not_ going."

"I'm eighteen, Seto. You can't forbid anything."

"Eighteen, but with no cash. You won't get the jet, I'll freeze all your credit cards and you'd be grounded."

"...you can't ground me." Mokie ventured

"Maybe not...but I can do the rest." Seto acknowledged.

"..."

"My decision is final."

"It's probably for the best anyway…" Mokuba pouted. Moments later, he brightened up (yes, the speed of his brother's mood changes does scare Seto sometimes) and said, "It was a nice party you put on today. Couldn't help but notice that it was at _your_ favorite restaurant. I bet the public engagement party will also be at your favourite venue. Ever gonna let your fiancé organize _anything_ for _her_ wedding?"

"Umm. Don't sass me. She doesn't know how. Honestly. Don't you remember the burrito fiasco?" Seto replied firmly, glad that the ex-girlfriend nuclear crisis had been adverted.

"Actually, I'd rather not." Mokuba smirked remembering the unpleasant 'accident' he had with the waitress at the seedy Mexican joint.

"Well, there you go."

"...she really isn't very good at this stuff, is she?"

"No. She really isn't."

"Will she be okay? Later on...after the marriage, I mean"

"Well...Téa mentioned that she'd help out as long as necessary. We could always hire a housekeeper."

"Hm. Anyway. It's late, I think I'm gonna call it a night." Mokuba closed his laptop in a very Kaibaesque manner and placed it on oak side table. He stood up, stretched, and was walking out the library double doors when Seto spoke up.

"Do you know why Téa wasn't at the party?"

"Um…iunno. I think she said had something to do." Mokuba was intrigued (not a good sign), and turned to look at Seto. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason. It was just strange that she wasn't there. That's all." Seto frowned slightly, which would have gone unnoticed had the observer been anyone but Mokuba.

_Now, this is might interesting, since when does a friend missing a party deserve a frown?_ thought Mokuba. "Oh, that's kinda weird, I suppose. She is at _everything_." Then the little Kaiba yawned and realized that he was too tired to explore whatever might have been "interesting" about the frown. He started walking, but paused again. "You know, you should probably turn in too. I'm sure Serenity's up waiting for you to come to bed again."

"Actually, she's out cold. That's why I'm working late today." Seto grimaced, remembering the time that Serenity had waited up till six in the morning for him to come to bed.

"But she barely drunk anything!"

"I know."

Mokuba scoffed, "Good grief, that girl's got no tolerance. Whatever, I'm off, g'night Seto."

"Night" Seto stoically replied, evidently distracted.

Mokuba couldn't help but steal a glance at his strangely monosyllabic (and fiancé non-defending) brother; as he suspected, the tiny frown was still in place.

"She probably had a very good reason." Mokuba piped up, and quickly left the room before Seto could say anything (read: deny that he was still dwelling on it).

After several moments, and after he got over the fact that Mokuba knew him better than he realized, Seto Kaiba did something which before that moment, in his opinion, only insane idiots did. "I know" he said to a very, very empty room, "but, goddamnit, it was my _engagement_ party."


End file.
